What Dreams May Come
by ariadne melody
Summary: Takes place after 2.17, picking up from where the episode ended, S/E fluff.
1. Chapter 1

AN: This is set right after 2.17 ended. It's a bit cheesy/fluffy, I know, and it might turn into a multi-fic, possibly. Reviews/feedback always appreciated!

It feels odd to be clinking glasses with Damon, toasting with him and smiling and planning. Well, the planning part wasn't new- even at their worst, they've always managed to work together somehow- but this sense of camaraderie is new. For once they're not really on their guard with each other, not plotting how to one-up or deceive the other. It almost feels, to Stefan, like old times, before Katherine and 1864 and everything. It's enough to make him feel hopeful.

Well, that, and their Secret Weapon and that Elena is moving in with him. Those things are pretty good too- especially the latter. It's almost enough to erase the bad parts of the day- almost, but not quite. He's still not really able to get over that Elena had been "kidnapped" yet again, but the solution to that, as always, is simply hugging her closer at night, wrapping his arms tightly around her body and crushing her against him.

Upstairs he waits for Elena to finish with John, wondering if he should go down there to referee or something. He'd probably just wind up punching John in the face, though, or throwing him out of the house through a window. This is a conversation that Elena needs to have with John on her own, he knows that, but he has to fight not to listen to them, even in his room, even with the door closed. Restlessly he fingers the spines of his journals, wonders how Caroline's doing with the whole Matt problem. She'd left a message on Elena's phone, sounding more despondent and down than Stefan has ever heard her, and Elena had said the same thing.

Arms suddenly wrap around him and he feels Elena pressing her face against his back. "Hey," he whispers and turns around to look at her still tearstained face. "You all right?"

"Not really," she sighed and kissed him, letting her lips linger on his. Then she buried her face in his chest, inhaling the scent of his clothes, his body, trying to move as close to him as possible. "Is it a bad thing that I told him to stay? Because I don't like him, I still don't trust him, he's a horrible person, and I still told him to stay. I think I must be insane."

"Or you just try really hard to see the good in everyone," Stefan murmured into her ear, gently massaging her back.

Her voice against his chest sounds muffled, but he can still make out the roughness of her tone, the tears she's trying to fight back. "Am I responsible? Is Isobel dead- really dead- because of me? Because-" Elena broke away from him, her eyes wild and her body shaking, "then I'm the reason why three out of my four parents are dead. Is that some kind of record?"

"Baby," he tries to calm her fluttering hands, still her body. "Baby, you're not-"

"It's a good thing that John does have that ring because he'd definitely be dead otherwise, and then I'd have four dead parents all dead because of me."

"Elena," he hugs her close. "Breathe, love, breathe, it's okay," he coaxes her, whispering to her while she cries, slowly calming in his arms. He grasps some of her hair and rubs her hip all the while reassuring her, telling her that everything was all right even though it's really not.

After a moment she looks up at him. "Sorry. I'm just... frazzled."

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," he tells her and firmly kisses her.

"I would say I need therapy, but they'd probably lock me in a hospital or something," she tries to laugh. A sad smile is all she can manage. Stefan kisses her forehead, rocks back and forth slightly, letting Elena decide what to do next. Silently, she pulls him to the bathroom, turns the taps on the bath. Lately it's almost become a ritual for them, to unwind in the bath or shower. Well, it's either unwind or sex, usually both.

"What was Damon cackling about?" Elena asks as she steps into the water, wincing first at the heat and then relaxing. "I passed him on the stairs and he looked unbelievably pleased with himself."

"Ah," Stefan raised an eyebrow. "We have a secret weapon."

"Um, yay?"

"No, seriously, this is progress, for once. Since Katherine didn't know Bonnie got her powers back, Isobel doesn't know, so Klaus doesn't know, which makes Bonnie-"

"A secret weapon," Elena smiles, but a look of worry came across her eyes. "I just hope... well, I hope whatever happens she's okay."

"She will be. You will be."

Elena glanced at him, slid completely underneath the water for a moment and quickly reemerged, rubbing the water away from her eyes. "So out of all the things we accomplished today, we now have a secret weapon and I own a house. Great."

"Not just any house."

"Please don't lecture me about architecture again. I don't think I could take it."

"I wasn't lecturing, I was-"

"Pontificating? Elaborating? Trying to put me to sleep-hey!" Elena laughingly protested as Stefan splashed her. Quickly, she set a small wave back at him, then ended up launching herself at him and pressing against him. Water splashed over the side of the tub, pooling on the floor, and they both laughed.

"If this is my house now, can I redecorate?"

"Absolutely."

Elena half suspects he was just saying that because of where her hands were strategically placed. "Even if I wanted to paint...oh, I don't know, the den bright green and hang posters of cats or something all over the place?"

Stefan's finding it kind of hard to concentrate on her words. "Sure, babe, whatever you want."

"We could put in a pool or skating rink. Maybe a dance hall."

By now he's running his hands down her body, placing lingering kisses on her neck. "Sounds good."

Stefan stretched out on the bed, lazily watched Elena pull her hair back into a ponytail. It's late, they should be getting to sleep so they can actually get up at a marginally respectable hour; although, come to think of it, he's not even positively sure what day it is, whether they have school or not, but regardless, Elena needs to sleep. After the stunt pulled by Katherine, he's pretty sure sleep is out of the question for him. Not that he needs it, really.

Yawning, Elena slowly slides underneath the covers, curls her feet around his. "I'm not sure I want to sleep," she murmured, looking up at him.

Silently, he props himself up on one arm, caresses her cheek.

"I- I used to have these dreams about my parents, and the accident. I don't want to have these dreams now," she leaves unspoken, now featuring Flaming Isobel Fleming. Sighing softly, she lay down and pulled Stefan's arm around her, covering her body like a blanket.

"I'll be here all night," he said softly, not sure how to reassure her. "If you do dream, I'll wake you, tell you stories or jokes or sing or just make love to you, I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel better."

A dreamy smile flickered over her face. "I love you."

"I love you," he whispers and, because he hasn't kissed her enough today, kisses her again. She pushed them so she lay on top of him, burying her hands in his hair.

"Would you really sing?" she whispers later, when the sweat's cooling on their bodies and the sheets are pooled somewhere around their feet. He rubs her back, listens to her heartbeat.

"I would, although I'm pretty sure you would get nightmares from it."

"It's the thought that counts."

"That's what I thought."

"Would you dance?" Elena asked, a teasing note in her voice.

"For you? I'd do anything," he replies as he touches her face, listening to her breathing becoming deeper and her voice becoming sleepier.

"Anything...I like the sound of that," she said as she re-nestled herself around his body, her eyes fluttering closed.

Stefan realizes she's fallen asleep, continues to stroke her back, hoping she'll have a peaceful sleep and not be bothered by dreams, ready to comfort her or make her laugh or smile or whatever she needs. He knows she would do the same for him, she's done the same for him- thinking of the night by the river when he tried to kill himself, how she talked to him and caressed him, convinced him to go back to the house. How he spent the rest of the night huddled in her embrace, apologizing over and over and how she managed to get him to sleep, her hands gently massaging him and relaxing him.

He listens to her breathe, and thinks he could easily spend the rest of his life like this.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: 2.18. Thanks so much for the feedback so far! I really appreciate it!

She didn't dream. Or if she did, Elena didn't remember. When she opened her eyes and found herself nose-to-nose with Stefan, a wave of relief passed through her. No dreams, no images of dead parents that would haunt her continuously. She sighed and Stefan's nose twitched. Yes, he had offered her to sing if she had had nightmares, which would have been sweet, but she can always find some other way to make him sing. She makes a mental note to find that way soon.

Even if Elena had wanted to get up she couldn't, what with Stefan's arms around her, his leg thrown over hers. But she didn't want to get up, not really, not when she had such a perfect opportunity to rest contentedly in Stefan's arms and stare at him, crazy-in-love stalker girl that she is. She really hasn't had enough of these moments lately.

"Hmm," he sighed and she giggled, felt his arms tighten even more around her as his eyes semi-opened, a sleepy smile on his face as he stared back at her.

"Good morning," she said, kissed his forehead.

"It is now," he murmured and stroked her cheek. She smiled warmly at him, her toes curling around the sheet. His voice dropped a little as he asked, "Did you sleep all right?"

"I did," she answered. "No dreams. I blame you."

"You're welcome," he pressed his lips against hers and for awhile they just lie there, kissing happily, long slow kisses that leave Elena breathless.

When they break apart she asks, just for the hell of it, just for the fun of it, "Are mermaids real?"

He laughs softly. "Mermaids?"

"Well, if vampires and witches and werewolves exist, why not mermaids? And unicorns. And dragons."

"You're gonna make me go find a unicorn?"

"And a dragon, please," Elena giggled and slid on top of him, began kissing him gently while running her hands through his hair. "I think I'm going to like living here."

Stefan's too preoccupied with kissing her to agree, but Elena knows he does. Something about the way his hands slide across her back, the way their lips meet lets her knows he couldn't agree more. Sitting up to take her (his) shirt off, Stefan seized the opportunity to pounce on her. Giggles erupt as she's pushed onto her back, arms semi-trapped in her shirt and he begins kissing her chest.

"Sorry to interrupt," Damon's voice filters in from the doorway. Elena shrieks slightly and Stefan glares fiercely at Damon while he pulls Elena's shirt down to cover her.

"Out," Stefan orders, his voice irritated and (to Elena's ears) kind of growly.

"Just thought you might want to look decent for the lawyer when he gets here in, oh, ten minutes."

"Lawyers make early morning house-calls?" Elena asks as she sat up and rolled her eyes at Stefan.

"This one does," Damon smirked. "Oh, plus Bonnie's here."

"She is?"

"To be a witness the signing or whatever; plus, she's mocking our furniture. Rude. And I'd like to take the opportunity to tell you some of the rules of the house: Number one, don't even think of locking me out. Number two, don't even think of touching the wine collection. Number 3-"

"Stay out of our room?" Elena mutters under her breath and Stefan smirked. She could practically hear Damon rolling his eyes.

"Whatever. See you downstairs in ten," he said as the door slammed.

Elena sighed slightly. "So where were we?" She smiled and pushed Stefan onto his back.

"I don't think we have time..." Stefan trailed off as she began kissing his neck, fingers slowly massaging his shoulder. Screw time.

"Guys, really?" Stefan heard Damon yell about eight minutes later, at which point they had moved from the bed to the shower. Stefan could also hear Damon muttering and Bonnie laughed while he rubbed Elena's body with a towel, grinning at her.

"The only downside to living here? We are never going to get anywhere on time," she said. "And I don't even care."

"Good," he smiled and kissed her forehead.

"I still need to move more clothes over here," she murmured a few minutes later when they're dressing. Seeing Stefan's raised eyebrow as he looked at the several drawers she's claimed for her clothes (not to mention about half his closet) she admitted, "Okay, maybe need isn't the right word."

"We can go to your place later," Stefan suggested as he pulled his shirt on. "Besides, you clearly don't have enough shoes here."

"Obviously," Elena took a small needle and gently pricked her finger.

"Elena..."

"Stefan," she gave him her best resolve face and he sighed heavily, but took her hand and began to drink the blood.

Damon, of course, burst in again. "What part of ten minutes don't you guys understand?"

At the intrusion both Elena and Stefan had jumped slightly, Stefan looking guilty as he tore his mouth away from Elena's bloody finger. Elena gripped Stefan's hair while she glared at Damon. "Give us a minute," Stefan said, clutching the hand he'd been feeding on tightly.

"Hurry up," was all Damon said.

"Did you drink enough?" Elena asked softly, rubbing the back of his neck. He nodded, still clutching her hand. Elena kissed him, by now used to the lingering taste of blood in his mouth (it could be worse, she figured- cigarettes or onions or something).

"Phase two," she murmured, picking up the small bottle of vervain and mixing it with the bottle of water, pouring the mixture into two glasses. "Cheers," she said before they clinked glasses and drank, Stefan grimacing.

"You all right?" she asked.

"Yeah," he got out and frowned, eyeing her bare neck, the spot where her necklace used to hang. Lightly he touched her neck; the necklace had been so reassuring, a visible reminder that she was protected. Elena knew what he was thinking, wondered where Katherine had thrown it. Probably in the garbage.

"It's okay, Stefan," she found herself saying.

"I'll find you something else."

She really wanted to tell him not to worry about it, that it was just a necklace and not the end of the world Yet it wasn't just a necklace, not to Elena.

Instead she pressed herself against him, finding that she really doesn't want to leave the room. She has to force herself to walk to the door, Stefan following her, one hand entangled with hers, the other lightly resting on her back. At the foot of the stairs Damon taps his foot, glaring at a watch and then up at them.

"My first redecorating idea?" Elena whispered to Stefan. "Locks for your door, asap."

"Absolutely."

AN: I've got an update to Night Shadows as well as a few other stories... hopefully those will go up soon, but real life has been a bit hectic lately. Also, I'm not entirely sure what's going on with S/E's whole blood/vervain situation, so I'm sorry if this goes against what's actually happening.


End file.
